Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: The Hotel Washington

The Hotel Washington as it appeared in 1913, shortly after completion. (Image: Bass Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society) Towering 17 stories over east Washington Street, The Symphony Center stands out gracefully among the other early...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Jackets Required

1930s postcard showing the interior that became the King Cole. (Image: eBay) Do you have a special occasion coming up or just want to impress a first date? What would be your go-to destination? For...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: A Night of Theater

This exterior shot from the 1967 Butler yearbook must have been taken shortly after completion due to the fresh pavement and lack of landscaping (Image: Butler University) An annual holiday tradition takes the stage when...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: When Black Friday Comes!

Happy Black Friday! After stuffing ourselves on the most thankful of holidays, many will trek out today to find that sought-after deal of the century with nearly every other Indy area resident. This typically leads...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Rubbing Elbows with Indy’s Elite at The Marott Hotel

An early postcard showing the Marott Hotel and Meridian Street Bridge. (Image: eBay) Today’s visitors to the Circle City have a wide array of lodging options when looking for a place to spend the night....

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Dancing on the Roof

The back side of this 1943 postmarked postcard reads “I am dancing at the Indiana Roof, beautiful combination Night Club and Ballroom, where Indianapolis dances every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.” (Image: eBay) The Indiana...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Theater Under the Stars

Butler students clowning around on the stage of the newly completed Brown Theater in 1955. (Image: Butler University) Life just seems better outdoors. During summer months, it is always enjoyable to eat dinner on one...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: At the Museum

John Herron Art Institute as it appeared in 1906. (Image: eBay) The Indianapolis Museum of Art is one of the crown jewels of our city. Few may realize that the facility near 38th Street and...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: At the Movies

Cinema has always been an important aspect to leisure time activities in the Circle City. Throughout the years, the art form has morphed from opulent downtown movie palaces to the drive-in theaters of the 50’s...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: The Red Gables

It’s unclear what made this the “Most Streamlined Restaurant in the Middle-West” but it was clearly a point of pride. (Image: Evan Finch) When your travels lead you to the intersection of Lafayette Road and...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: Southeast Corner of Pennsylvania and Market Streets

Half of a circa 1876 stereoview looking south on Pennsylvania Street from Market Street (The Indiana Album: Loaned by Joan Hostetler) Merely a decade after the end of the Civil War, photographer John W. Pendergast...

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Posted in: In the Park In the Park: Brookside Park

One of my favorite things about Indianapolis is that the city has something for everyone.  Whether you’re looking for unique cuisine, world-class art, kid-friendly activities, or the thrill of a sporting event, you can find...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: The Gatling Gun Club, 707-709 N. Illinois Street

If you’ve ever wanted to own a post-Civil War era house with a rich history, now is the time to buy the Tousey-Nichol house, better known as the Gatling Gun Club. After serving as a...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: The Year of the Coliseum

The exterior of the coliseum shortly after construction. (Image: eBay) If you’ve been living under a mound of red velvet funnel cake, you may not know it is the “Year of the Coliseum” at the...

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Posted in: In the Park In the Park: Tarkington Park

Welcome to Tarkington Park!  The 10.32-acre neighborhood park is found near the intersection of 39th and Meridian Streets.  The Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood on Indianapolis’s old northwest side is rich with history.  It draws its name from...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church – Schools and Rectory, Georgia Street and Capitol Avenue

View of the NW corner of W. Georgia Street looking east from Capitol Avenue (IUPUI University Library, Indianapolis History Collection, 1913 Indianapolis Streetcar Strike Scrapbook loaned by Deedee Davis) While documenting the increasingly angry crowds...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: The Thompson-Mesker Cottage, 1014 N. Arsenal Avenue

Many times determining the construction date of an old house is nearly impossible, but the Queen Anne cottage at 1014 N. Arsenal Avenue is a researcher’s dream. It features a prominent sign above the front...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: The Ruskaup Grocery and Tavern / The Inventorialist, 715-717 Dorman Street

The Ruskaup Grocery and Tavern, ca. 1890s. The man standing on the steps on the right is likely proprietor Frederick Ruskaup. Today the Cottage Home Park and Playground occupies the lot to the north, then...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: Pyle House / Board of Trade / Chase Tower, 143 N. Meridian Street

When the end was near for the delapidated Pyle House, newpaper writers looked back nostalgically at the former days when the building at 143 N. Meridian Street was a well-known inn. Situated north of Christ...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: David Macy House, 408 N. Delaware Street

The David Macy house at 408 N. Delaware Street (The Indiana Album: Loaned by Joan Hostetler) Not many 1850s houses have survived in Indianapolis, but a unique government project begun during the Great Depression gives...

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